Born in Nagwarad, Austria-Hungary (now Oradea, Bihor, Romania). A popular playwright and short-story writer in Vienna, he came to Hollywood in 1924 to conclude the sale of his play "The Czarina" (1912) to Ernst Lubitsch as the basis for the screenplay of FORBIDDEN PARADISE. The same material was remade in 1934 as CATHERINE THE GREAT and in 1945 as A ROYAL SCANDAL. Another of his plays, Hotel Imperial was adapted to the screen three times, twice (1927 and 1939) under the same title and once for Billy Wilder's FIVE GRAVES TO CAIRO (1943). In addition to other original stories and plays, he also wrote screenplays directly for the screen, alone or in collaboration. In 1932 he moved to England, where he became screenwriter and executive director of Alexander Korda's London Films. Other notable writing credits include THE WAY OF ALL FLESH (1927), THE PRIVATE LIFE OF HENRY VIII (1933, story), THE PRIVATE LIFE OF DON JUAN and THE SCARLET PIMPERNEL (both 1934), REMBRANDT (1936), THE FOUR FEATHERS (1939), THIEF OF BAGDAD and THE WAY OF ALL FLESH (both 1940) and AN IDEAL HUSBAND (1947).    Nominated for Original Story 1927-8: THE LAST COMMAND 1 Nomination